Since the Ramadhan month have just begun, let’s talk something about it. Or probably some ideas and thoughts that I’ve experienced that I can share (some sort of advice maybe?).

1. Traffic

Most of us have somehow or rather been doomed by the heavy traffic that the Ramadhan season have caused. It affects EVERYONE and we know it well. We know some of our Muslim friends gets to leave their office an hour earlier or so, while some remains with their usual working hours. Even so, none of these have helped to ease the congestion on the road.

So, if you’ve been affected by it so far, my suggestion for you is to start your journey (to whenever you wanna go) after 7.30pm. It’s the best time to get home. You’d be amazed how smooth the traffic can be after this hour. After all, the time you’re stuck in those traffic when you leave earlier may just end up reaching home the same time as you do when you leave after 7.30pm.

OR, you can do what my boss did, the traffic was SO BAD that she decided to stop at the side of the road and put the hazard lights on. From there, at least you’d get to rest a bit.

2. Food

My first suggestion is for you to eat before (much earlier) or after the breaking of fast. If you’re intending to eat (and if your stomach decide to growl during the same time), non-halal (Read: Porky Pork) food would be the way to go as no clashes of interest would occur. And if you ever decide to eat at more common places as others do (i.e fast food or especially Malay cuisine), you’d better be prepared to queue for it. And most importantly, if the time draws near, it would really be a good courtesy if let them go ahead first. Unless of course you haven’t drank nor eaten the whole day long, which I’m sure isn’t the case.

3. Gym and sport activities

If you’re a gym rat (like me and I must say I’m cutting down on gym - a plan that is) and loves sports but hate the crowd (when there’s a lack of facilities), enjoy these activities this whole month of Ramadhan as you’d see a lesser crowd. Well, not quite the scene for the gym that I’m going. It’s probably the crowd is pretty balanced..and mostly are Chinese. Well, probably it will happen in the weeks to come. But this was the scenario a year back when Ramadhan came. It was quite enjoyable as the crowd was in a good control and I didn’t have to ‘fight’ to use some machines and getting some space there.

And if you’re having trouble booking for sports facilities, you may just be at ease too. Am I talking to a sports-loving people here?? Hmm..maybe not.

4. Avoiding the heavy traffic area

If would be good to identify the areas where things like the bazaar ramadhan and the mosques are. Avoid going to these places in between 5.00pm- 7.00pm. For the mosque, well it’s some time around 7 or 8pm (I dont quite remember the name of the hour for their prayers).

Unless you’re interested in savouring the delicacies that the bazaar has got to offer, don’t even get there. But I do intend to go to one one of these days. I do have a sweet tooth you know?

Well, last but not least, during the Ramadhan month, be sensitive and have some courtesy when we eat and drink around our Muslim colleagues and friends. I’m sure they don’t scoff at ya when you do it in front of them (well, not that I’ve experienced any of it among my mates), but I’m sure it’s only nice when we do. I’m sure that when we are going through the same, we would expect the same from others.

I think that’s all from me. These are things that I can remember. And if you have any other suggestions, please feel free to give me a buzz at the comment section or an email will do fine too.

Thanks and have a good week ahead.:D

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I must say I’m learning a lot about people lately. From the previous posts that I had, it seems like there’s a series of events that led to all these. Even when I write these, rest assured that I’m perfectly OK! I write to pour out what I learn out things I see and experience. not to bash things at anyone anywhere concerned in such an open space.

I’ve got to be honest, I’m facing quite a few ’stuffs’ of late with people around me. It’s no biggie, but it sure does spark lots of things on my mind. That statement pops off my mind thinking how people can be so irresponsible towards their remarks and yet pushing all other rubbish onto you. Yet, in the midst of that frustration, I asked myself, ‘Did I really cause this? Is there something that I could have done to make this better?’ The answer was, I did. At least, I realise I was also a part of the cause for all these. But sadly, not everyone thinks of the same when it comes to admitting that faults in similar situations.

Having said so, I know I can’t blame the other person for the cause of any unfavourable situations that occured. Because, it was also my imperfection in handling that situation that caused an imperfect reaction towards the other person’s fault, right? Put it this way, in MOST situations like these, all I know is, I can’t wash my hands off and tell people, No, IT’s NOT MY FAULT!

One of those people that I respect most are people who knows how to own up to both their success and failures. I must say, I’ve not met much of these people these days but I sure do know a few of them and I have my utmost respect to them. Some of us are too modest (totally guilty of that myself) and a lot of others just think they totally own up to everything.

The biggest problem in human is to own up to their faults and failures. It is also one of the major cause and reason / factor that people are not successful. As ironic as it may sound, YES! Failing to accept / own up to your faults and failures are the main reasons why people don’t get to the top.

And is it that difficult to make it up to that? YES. It is. It takes a WHOLE lot of your GUTS. It takes a person to take out all his pride and throw it on the floor and say, ‘Yes, I’m sorry. I’ve ruined it!’ We’re ever so tempted to tell a little lie to cover up. And we butter up our lines to make it sound like we’re all innocent. Yes, I must admit. It ain’t easy at all!

One of the things that I’ve dreamt of pursuing is the studies of human psychology and interactions. It never cease to amaze me how much i can learn both about humans and God through such interactions and ideas. Despite having different sorta experience with humans (now I sound like I’m from another planet huh?), sometimes, after thinking things through I really shouldn’t mind if all the difficult issues that I have with them. After all, I only get to learn to be stronger and learn what life is all about, isn’t that what God wants us to experience here on earth? I’d rather stay grounded and learn these hardships than to float above the clouds and still be naive about what’s happening on the ground.

A dear friend of mine always reminds me that ‘Well, it’s not the end of the world….’ It’s so true. After all, if it’s really the end of it all, I guess you’d have more concerning things to think about, isn’t it?

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An ex-colleague that I had wasn’t the nicest person in the company (and so we thought). I’ve had my share of bad experience with this person. But even before I’ve met this lady, I’ve already heard of all the nasty things she does and how bad she treats other people without having any second thought over other people. Selfish, inefficient and rude were the most commonly used traits to describe her. But towards her last few months of her retirement, she was moved over to our office to allow another person to take over her position while she helped out in whatever there is in the office. Day in and day out and we finally got to know each other better. Throughout her time in our office, she’s one of the most helpful person there is. We talked and I began to understand her a little bit more. I’m happy for her on her plans after retirement and all. Making me wonder what’d be like for me when I retire (well, i know it’s way too soon, but it isn’t a sin to dream and plan a little, right?) We had a mini send off for her and we’re all happy. But having to think about the pre-judgement I had on her. I must admit, i’m pretty ashamed of doing that myself.

The cause of this two scenarios is the same. It’s the problem with what we like to perceive others to be. We tend to let the bad stuffs about other people shadow the good traits that others have. Isn’t this a familiar disease that we all have, and a very common one too I must say,

In our case, we let that person’s little selfishness and ego blind us of how good she was in doing everything she could for us. But we didn’t quite realise this: Who doesn’t have that problem? Even if we don’t, we have our sets of issues that people doesn’t fancy about us, don’t we? And on another scenario, we let what other people tell us what’s it like to see that person without even spending a little time to find out for ourselves whether or not such remarks were true.

When Jesus warns about not passing judgement to other people, I dont believe He was referring to people who’s just passing a bad remark on other people (if He is, then we’d all be guilty of that sin), but I believe the sort of judgement He was referring to was the kind that comdemns people to a point of no return, to set on a mind to no longer put hope from that person, just like a judge that passes a sentence to a criminal believing that that person deserves to be punished for his/her crime that was committed. This, to some of us, may be some of the ‘devil’ we’re fighting today.

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I, Gerald am also guilty of that too sometimes. The way I see it, it’s more like giving others the benefit of a doubt. It’s about finding the gem that was covered by thin layers of dusts and dirts and looking beyond all that.

This message is in support of: Not judging others campaign.

On this car……..

You must be KIDDING ME MR!!!

There’s no other locally produced car that I despise more than this. I always wonder what happened during the conception of this model! Seriously…….!

Cute….Nah…don’t think you’ll have any luck on getting honked there Mr! Probably when you drive like a mad man you might just get some response. For the wrong reason though. LOL.

I closed my eyes thinking about it for a short while. Lots of great things about God flash passed my mind…….but then barely after a minute or so…I stopped and whispered softly to God this, ‘God, I may have known you for years, but I know I can never fully comprehend that vast greatness and sheer goodness of who You really are.’

I’m humbled. Truly am.

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I BELIEVE He had me in mind……:D

Thank God for such heart-warming, soul-calming and loving food. Oh God, what would I do without them?

Sheila Majid - Dengarkanlah

Still as smooth and soulful like she was. A nice song I must say.

Enjoy and have a good week ahead and God Bless.

A person I know spoke and preaches about healthy lifestyle, eating right and having a balanced diet, taking loads of supplement was seen smoking away almost every day outside the office. OOpps….did I just blew the bubble?

Some macho big built guys that lifts tonnes (well probably not that much, but you know in a figurative sense) was puffing away in a circle right outside the gym.

I’ve read of a country which mourns for the passing away of their leader while another was just trying so hard to get rid of theirs.

I’ve read of a country whose people are surviving each day, through illness, draughts, famines and disaster holding on only to hope that one day, just some day these may end, while another decides to end their lives while they live in a land that are filled with food, supplies and all that they need.

We see a group of people who are fighting to get a job and we see another group of people who fits the job and yet refuse to take up any of those offered to them and yet the latter group wants to deny the first group of that right for survival.

I know of people who let go of a relationship for the pettiest issues while another was filled with circumstances that didn’t allow them to even be together, due to political, religious circumstances that drew the line between them.

I know of families who dread to meet the members of that unit because of that little misunderstanding they had years ago while another group of people in a country I know of looks forward for the day to meet their long-separated family members once a year or so due to a political divide that were decades-long.

and…I guess there will be more to come onto the list…..well..i hope not.